JP6883406B2 - Vehicle operation device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle operating device, and more particularly to a vehicle operating device that can be easily operated by an occupant during automatic driving.

Conventionally, a device for stopping a vehicle such as an automobile has generally been a device in which a driver activates a braking device by depressing a brake pedal with his / her foot. In recent years, in order to reduce traffic accidents, a driving support device that assists the driver's operation and automatically stops the vehicle in an emergency or the like has appeared. Furthermore, automatic driving support devices that automatically drive a vehicle with almost no need for driving operations such as steering by the driver are becoming widespread.

In Patent Document 1, the vehicle control ECU controls all of the operations related to the behavior of the vehicle, such as accelerator operation, brake operation, and steering wheel operation, and an automatic driving support device capable of performing automatic driving without depending on the driver's operation. Is disclosed. The automatic driving support device of Patent Document 1 drives and controls an engine device, a braking device, an electric power steering, etc., and automatically operates until the interruption timing on the guide path.

Further, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a technical matter in which the seat is set to a relax mode during automatic driving for the purpose of reducing driver fatigue during the above-mentioned automatic driving. Specifically, when the vehicle is in the automatic driving state, the seat is moved to the rear, and the seat back is further tilted to the rear. By doing so, it is possible to keep the driver away from the steering wheel, not to interfere with steering by automatic driving, and to reduce driver fatigue.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-178332 http: // www. volvocars. com / jp / about / ourcompany / press release / 2015/20151119 (searched on October 12, 2016)

However, even in a vehicle equipped with the above-mentioned automatic driving support device, not all the behavior of the vehicle is performed by the automatic driving support device, and a part of the behavior of the vehicle is judged by the occupants such as the driver. Needed. For example, when a vehicle is performing an automatic driving operation, it is necessary for the occupant to make a decision as to whether or not to overtake another vehicle traveling in front, and if so, whether to change lanes to the left or right lane. It is necessary to operate the vehicle based on the judgment of the occupant. Further, even if the vehicle travels to the vicinity of the destination by automatic driving, it is necessary to operate based on the judgment of the occupant at which position of the parking lot near the destination the vehicle is parked. In addition, if an emergency such as an obstacle exists in front of the vehicle while the vehicle is performing an automatic driving operation, a quick manual operation by the occupant is required to avoid the emergency. ..

On the other hand, while the automatic driving operation is being executed, the occupants including the driver are lying down on the seat in the relaxed position. Specifically, the occupant is lying on the seat cushion and seat back in a relaxed state, and both arms of the occupant are placed on the upper surface of the armrest. Therefore, even if the occupant tries to operate the operation switch or the like to control the function of the vehicle while the automatic driving operation is being executed, the distance from the armrest on which the arm is placed to the instrument panel of the vehicle is large. Since it is long, there is a problem that it is difficult for the occupant to operate the desired operation switch. Further, for the same reason, there is also a problem that it is difficult for a occupant who is relaxed by placing both arms on the armrest to perform a quick manual operation when he / she releases his / her hand from the armrest and operates the operation switch.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle operation device capable of reliably and easily operating a vehicle function by an occupant.

The vehicle operating device of the present invention includes an armrest on which the arm of an occupant seated on a seat is placed and a functional operating unit for controlling the function of the vehicle, and the functional operating unit is lateral to the armrest. The armrest is arranged below the upper end of the armrest, and the armrest has a contact surface with which the arm of the occupant contacts during operation and a guide surface extending from the contact surface toward the functional operation unit. And, at the lower end of the guide surface, a lower support portion for supporting the arm or hand of the occupant from below is formed.

The vehicle operating device of the present invention includes an armrest on which the arm of an occupant seated on a seat is placed and a functional operating unit for controlling the function of the vehicle, and the functional operating unit is lateral to the armrest. The armrest is arranged below the upper end of the armrest, and the armrest has a contact surface with which the arm of the occupant contacts during operation and a guide surface extending from the contact surface toward the functional operation unit. An outer support portion for supporting the arm or hand of the occupant from the outside is formed on the outer side of the guide surface.

The vehicle operation device of the present invention includes an armrest on which the arm of an occupant seated on a seat is placed and a functional operation unit for controlling the function of the vehicle, and the functional operation unit is lateral to the armrest. The armrest is arranged below the upper end of the armrest, and the armrest has a contact surface with which the arm of the occupant contacts during operation and a guide surface extending from the contact surface toward the functional operation unit. The upper end of the guide surface is arranged inward toward the rear in a top view.

The vehicle operation device of the present invention includes an armrest on which the arm of an occupant seated on a seat is placed and a functional operation unit for controlling the function of the vehicle, and the functional operation unit is lateral to the armrest. The armrest is arranged below the upper end of the armrest, and the armrest has a contact surface with which the arm of the occupant contacts during operation and a guide surface extending from the contact surface toward the functional operation unit. The vehicle is automatically driven, and the function of the vehicle, which is said to be the automatic driving, is controlled via the function operation unit.

Further, in the vehicle operation device of the present invention, the function operation unit and the guide surface are arranged on the side of the armrest opposite to the occupant .

Further, the vehicle operating device of the present invention is characterized in that the contact surface and the guide surface are formed as continuous surfaces.

Further, in the vehicle operation device of the present invention, the function operation unit and the guide surface are arranged on the side of the armrest opposite to the occupant .

Further, the vehicle functional operation unit of the present invention is characterized in that it is arranged in front of the front end of the armrest.

Further, in the vehicle operation device of the present invention, the function operation unit is arranged in front of the front end of the armrest when the seat is in the relaxed position.

Further, in the vehicle operating device of the present invention, the guide surfaces are formed on both sides of the armrest in the width direction.

The vehicle operation device of the present invention includes an armrest on which the arm of an occupant seated on a seat is placed and a functional operation unit for controlling the function of the vehicle, and the functional operation unit is lateral to the armrest. The armrest is arranged below the upper end of the armrest, and the armrest has a contact surface with which the arm of the occupant contacts during operation and a guide surface extending from the contact surface toward the functional operation unit. And, at the lower end of the guide surface, a lower support portion for supporting the arm or hand of the occupant from below is formed. Therefore, when the occupant moves the arm downward along the guide surface to operate the vehicle, the arm or hand is supported by the downward support portion at the lower end of the guide surface, and excessive downward movement of the arm is suppressed. The occupant's hand is placed near the functional operation unit. Therefore, the occupant can easily operate the function operation unit with his / her hand.

The vehicle operation device of the present invention includes an armrest on which the arm of an occupant seated on a seat is placed and a functional operation unit for controlling the function of the vehicle, and the functional operation unit is lateral to the armrest. The armrest is arranged below the upper end of the armrest, and the armrest has a contact surface with which the arm of the occupant contacts during operation and a guide surface extending from the contact surface toward the functional operation unit. An outer support portion for supporting the arm or hand of the occupant from the outside is formed on the outer side of the guide surface. Therefore, when the occupant moves the arm downward along the guide surface to operate the vehicle, the arm or hand is supported by the outer support portion from the outside at the lower end of the guide surface, and the occupant's hand is the functional operation portion. Placed in the vicinity. Therefore, the occupant can easily operate the function operation unit with his / her hand.

The vehicle operation device of the present invention includes an armrest on which the arm of an occupant seated on a seat is placed and a functional operation unit for controlling the function of the vehicle, and the functional operation unit is lateral to the armrest. The armrest is arranged below the upper end of the armrest, and the armrest has a contact surface with which the arm of the occupant contacts during operation and a guide surface extending from the contact surface toward the functional operation unit. The upper end of the guide surface is arranged inward toward the rear in a top view. Therefore, it becomes easy for the occupant to slide the arm along the guide surface around the elbow placed on the upper surface of the armrest.

The vehicle operation device of the present invention includes an armrest on which the arm of an occupant seated on a seat is placed and a functional operation unit for controlling the function of the vehicle, and the functional operation unit is lateral to the armrest. The armrest is arranged below the upper end of the armrest, and the armrest has a contact surface with which the arm of the occupant contacts during operation and a guide surface extending from the contact surface toward the functional operation unit. The vehicle is automatically driven, and the function of the vehicle, which is said to be the automatic driving, is controlled via the function operation unit. Therefore, the occupant can control the function of the vehicle in the autonomous driving state after sliding its arm along the guide surface.

Further, in the vehicle operation device of the present invention, the function operation unit and the guide surface are arranged on the side of the armrest opposite to the occupant . Therefore, by providing the functional operation unit and guide surface related to safe driving of the vehicle on the opposite side of the armrest, the hand or arm can be slid on the guide surface formed on the opposite side in an emergency when a sloppy operation is required. The function operation unit can be operated quickly and accurately. Further, since the function operation unit cannot be operated unless the intention to operate is revealed and the arm is moved to the opposite side of the occupant, erroneous operation other than in an emergency can be prevented.

Further, the vehicle operating device of the present invention is characterized in that the contact surface and the guide surface are formed as continuous surfaces. Therefore, the occupant's arm or hand can be smoothly slid along the continuous contact surface and the guide surface, and the occupant's hand can be easily reached to the functional operation unit.

Further, in the vehicle operation device of the present invention, the function operation unit and the guide surface are arranged on the side of the armrest opposite to the occupant . Therefore, when the occupant moves his / her arm in a hurry, he / she can slide his / her arm or hand along the guide surface formed on the opposite side of the occupant to operate the function operation unit by hand. Furthermore, it is possible to improve safety in an emergency, and at the same time, it is not possible to operate the functional operation unit unless the intention to operate is revealed and the arm is moved to the opposite side of the occupant. It is possible to prevent erroneous operation of.

Further, the vehicle functional operation unit of the present invention is characterized in that it is arranged in front of the front end of the armrest. Therefore, when operating the function of the vehicle, the occupant operates the function operation unit by sliding his / her arm sideways and downward along the guide surface and then reaching forward. Therefore, if the occupant's arm is unnecessarily moved along the guide surface, the occupant's hand does not reach the function operation unit, so that it is possible to prevent the occupant from erroneously operating the function operation unit during driving.

Further, in the vehicle operation device of the present invention, the function operation unit is arranged in front of the front end of the armrest when the seat is in the relaxed position. Therefore, the occupant lying on the seat, which is in the relaxed position during automatic driving, is placed in front of the front end of the armrest by sliding the arm on the guide surface of the armrest when operating the function of the vehicle. The function operation unit can be easily operated.

Further, in the vehicle operating device of the present invention, the guide surfaces are formed on both sides of the armrest in the width direction. Therefore, even if the function operation parts are formed on both sides in the width direction with respect to the armrest, the occupant can slide the arm along the guide surface on the right or left side to any function operation part. You can make immediate contact.

It is a figure which shows the vehicle operation device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, (A) is the perspective view which shows the seat which the vehicle operation device is applied, (B) is the vehicle operation device is applied. It is a side view which shows a vehicle. It is a figure which shows the vehicle operation apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, (A) is the top view which shows the seat which the occupant was seated, (B) is the top view which shows the vehicle operation device, ( C) and (D) are sectional views of a vehicle operating device. It is a front view which shows the situation which the arm of an occupant slides by an armrest in the operation device for a vehicle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the operation device for a vehicle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, (A) and (B) are sectional views which show the other form of the armrest. It is a figure which shows the operation device for a vehicle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and is the front view which shows the other form of the operation device for a vehicle. It is a figure which shows the operation device for a vehicle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, (A) to (C) are the top view which shows the form of the function operation part. It is a figure which shows the operation device for a vehicle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, (A) is the perspective view which shows the function operation part, (B) is the side view which shows the function operation part.

Hereinafter, the vehicle operating device 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, in principle, the same code number is used for the same member, and repeated description is omitted. Further, in the following description, each direction of up / down / front / rear / left / right is used, and the left / right means the left / right when the vehicle 10 is viewed from the front.

With reference to FIG. 1, the seat 15 included in the vehicle 10 to which the vehicle operating device 11 of the present embodiment is applied will be described. FIG. 1 (A) is a perspective view showing the seat 15, and FIG. 1 (B) is a side view showing the seat 15 as a relax position together with the occupant 12.

With reference to FIG. 1A, the seat 15 is rotatably connected to the seat cushion 16 that supports the buttocks of the occupant 12 from below and the rear end of the seat cushion 16 to support the back of the occupant 12 from the rear. It has a seat back 17 and a headrest 18 that is attached to the upper end of the seat back 17 so as to be movable in the vertical direction and supports the head of the occupant 12 from behind. Further, armrests 19 and 20 that support the arm 43 of the occupant 12 from below are rotatably connected to both left and right side surfaces of the seat back 17. Here, the armrests 19 and 20 can be provided independently of the main body of the seat 15, and the armrests 19 and 20 may be supported by a support portion (not shown) extending from the floor surface of the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the armrests 19 and 20 have a shape that allows the occupant 12 to smoothly operate the armrests 19 and 20 during automatic operation, and such matters will be described later.

FIG. 1A shows a form of the seat 15 during manual operation in which the occupant 12 performs maneuvering operations such as acceleration / deceleration, steering, and shift change of the vehicle 10 by himself / herself. Such a form is referred to as a driving position. It is called.

FIG. 1B shows a form of a seat 15 during automatic driving in which a control device (not shown here) automatically performs maneuvering operations such as acceleration / deceleration, steering, and shift change of the vehicle 10. Such a form of the seat 15 is called a relaxed position. In the form of the seat 15 in the relaxed position, the entire seat 15 is moved rearward, the seat back 17 is tilted rearward, and the rear portion of the seat cushion 16 is raised as compared with that in the driving position. By doing so, the shape of the upper surface of the seat 15 in the relaxed position becomes close to a flat surface, and the occupant 12 lies on the upper surface of the seat 15 so that the degree of fatigue of the occupant 12 can be reduced. Further, the occupant 12 can be moved away from the steering wheel, accelerator pedal, etc. of the vehicle 10 to prevent malfunction during automatic driving. Here, the relax position and the driving position may be executed by using the seat memory in which the position and orientation of the seat 15 are controlled by the actuator by calling the information stored in the storage device.

Further, in the relaxed position, the arm 43 of the occupant 12 is placed on the upper surface of the armrest 20, thereby preventing the arm 43 of the occupant 12 from becoming tired during automatic driving. In the present embodiment, the functional operation unit 40 for controlling the above-mentioned functions such as the maneuvering operation of the vehicle 10 is arranged in the vicinity of the front of the armrest 20 of the seat 15, and the armrest 20 and the functional operation unit 40 are used for the vehicle operation device 11. Consists of. The configuration and operation of the vehicle operating device 11 will be described later.

Here, the automatic driving of the vehicle 10 will be described. In the automatic driving state, a control device (not shown) constantly monitors the current vehicle running state, the external environment, and the like. Then, the control device controls the control devices such as the brake, the accelerator, and the steering wheel, and performs appropriate automatic driving according to the current situation. Further, the control device shifts the seat 15 from the driving position to the relaxed position by driving the seat driving device such as a motor when the vehicle 10 is in the automatic driving state. Further, the control device shifts from automatic operation to manual operation at the discretion of the control device itself or based on the operation of the occupant 12, and then the occupant 12 operates the above-mentioned control device to operate the vehicle 10. Further, when shifting from the automatic operation to the manual operation, the control device drives the seat drive device to change the seat 15 from the relaxed position to the driving position.

Further, even if the vehicle 10 is in the automatic driving state, a manual operation by the occupant 12 may be required. Specifically, as described above, it is necessary for the occupants to make decisions such as whether or not to overtake other vehicles traveling in front during automatic driving, and whether to change lanes to the left or right when overtaking. The occupant 12 gives an instruction to the vehicle 10 by operating the function operation unit 40. Further, when the vehicle 10 arrives at the vicinity of the destination by automatic driving, the occupant 12 instructs the position of the parking lot near the destination to park the vehicle by operating the function operation unit 40. Further, when an emergency situation such as an obstacle existing in front of the vehicle 10 occurs while the vehicle 10 is executing the automatic driving operation, the occupant 12 is in charge of the function operation unit in order to avoid the emergency situation. By operating 40, an instruction is given to the vehicle 10. Such matters will be described in detail.

The vehicle operating device 11 of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 2A is a top view of the seat 15 as viewed from above, FIG. 2B is a top view of the armrest 20 as viewed from above, and FIG. 2C is near the tip of the armrest 20. FIG. 2 (D) is a cross-sectional view taken in the vicinity of the central portion of the armrest 20. In FIG. 2A, the occupant 12 lying on the seat 15 is shown by a dotted line.

With reference to FIG. 2A, armrests 19 and 20 are arranged on both left and right side surfaces of the seat back 17 of the seat 15 as described above, and the armrests 19 and 20 have the occupant 12 holding the arm 43. It has a shape that is easy to move.

With reference to FIG. 2B, a contact surface 32 and guide surfaces 30 and 31 are formed on the upper surface of the armrest 20. The contact surface 32 is a horizontal flat surface formed in the central portion of the upper surface of the armrest 20, and the arm 43 and the hand 44 of the occupant 12 are placed on the upper surface of the contact surface 32 during automatic driving.

The guide surface 30 is an inclined surface in which the left portion of the upper surface of the armrest 20 is inclined downward toward the left. In other words, the guide surface 30 extends from the left end side side of the contact surface 32 toward the function operating unit 40 described below. As will be described later, the arm 43 of the occupant 12 who intends to operate the function of the vehicle 10 can be easily moved to the left along the guide surface 30. Similarly, the guide surface 31 is an inclined surface in which the right portion of the upper surface of the armrest 20 is inclined downward toward the right, and as will be described later, the arm of the occupant 12 who intends to operate the function of the vehicle 10. The 43 can be easily moved to the right along the guide surface 30. Here, the guide surfaces 30 and 31 may be flat inclined surfaces, inclined surfaces curved upwardly, or inclined surfaces curved downward.

In this embodiment, the contact surface 32 and the guide surfaces 30 and 31 are formed as continuous surfaces. Here, the contact surface 32 and the guide surfaces 30 and 31 may be directly continuous with each other. Further, a relay surface (not shown) connecting the contact surface 32 and the guide surfaces 30 and 31 is formed, and the contact surface 32 and the guide surfaces 30 and 31 are indirectly continuous via the relay surface. You may. Further, the continuous surface formed by the continuous contact surface 32 and the guide surfaces 30 and 31 may be curved or linear. By forming the contact surface 32 and the guide surfaces 30 and 31 as continuous surfaces in this way, the arm 43 and the hand 44 of the occupant 12 can be smoothly slid along the continuous surface, and the hand 44 of the occupant 12 can slide the contact surface 32 and the guide surfaces 30 and 31 smoothly. The function operation unit 40 can be operated easily and accurately.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2B, the upper end portion of the guide surface 30 has an inclined shape that is arranged inward toward the rear in the top view, in other words, the guide surface 30 has an inclined shape. The rear part is cut inward from the front part. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2C, the width of the guide surface 30 in the left-right direction becomes narrow in the vicinity of the tip end portion of the armrest 20. Further, as shown in FIG. 2D, the width of the guide surface 30 in the left-right direction becomes wide in the vicinity of the central portion of the armrest 20.

When operating the function operation unit 40, which will be described later, the occupant 12 rotates the arm 43 clockwise around a rotation center 42 defined in the vicinity of the rear end portion of the armrest 20 to perform an operation operation. .. At that time, since the rear portion of the guide surface 30 is cut inward in the left-right direction, the occupant 12 can rotate the arm 43 while sliding it along the guide surface 30.

The same applies to the guide surface 31, and as shown in FIG. 2 (B), the upper end portion of the guide surface 31 has an inclined shape that is arranged inward toward the rear in the top view. ing. With such a shape, when the occupant 12 operates the function operation unit 41 described later, the occupant 12 can slide and rotate the arm 43 along the guide surface 31.

With reference to FIGS. 2B and 2C, in the present embodiment, the functional operation unit 40 for operating the function of the vehicle 10 is lateral to the armrest 20 in the left-right direction, and the armrest 20 It is placed below the upper end of. Further, here, the functional operation unit 40 is arranged in front of the front end of the armrest 20. The function operation unit 40 is, for example, an operation unit that controls the control functions of the brake, accelerator, steering wheel, and the like of the vehicle 10.

By doing so, as shown in FIG. 3, when the occupant 12 manually operates the function of the vehicle 10 during automatic driving, for example, the arm 43 (particularly the forearm) is attached to the contact surface which is the upper surface of the armrest 20. From 32, it is slid to the left and downward along the guide surface 30, and the function operation unit 40 can be easily operated by the hand 44. At that time, as shown in FIG. 2B, the guide surface while rotating the arm 43 clockwise with the elbow attached to the rotation center 42 defined on the rear side of the armrest 20. The arm 43 may be slid along 30.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2 (B), when the function operation unit 40 is arranged in front of the armrest 20 away from the front end, the occupant 12 performs the above-mentioned slide operation, and then the occupant 12 holds the arm 43. By extending it forward, the hand 44 of the occupant 12 may come into contact with the function operation unit 40 for operation. That is, the position of the function operation unit 40 is in a state in which the hand 44 of the occupant 12 lying down on the seat 15 which is in the relaxed position during automatic driving does not reach carelessly, and the occupant 12 who wants to operate is lying down. As it is, reach it when you reach out your hand 44. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the occupant 12 from unnecessarily operating the function operation unit 40 during automatic operation to cause a malfunction. Further, since the occupant 12 can move the hand 44 to the vicinity of the functional operation unit 40 only by sliding the arm 43 along the guide surface 30 and extending the arm 43 forward, the functional operation unit 40 can be moved. A predetermined operation can be performed by extending the hand 44 to the function operation unit 40 at a desired timing without visually confirming the position.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 2B, the functional operation unit 41 is arranged in front of and to the right of the front end of the armrest 20 in a plan view. Further, referring to FIGS. 2C and 2D, the functional operation unit 41 is arranged below the upper end of the armrest 20. Therefore, during automatic driving, the occupant 12 can easily operate the function operation unit 41 with his / her hand 44 by sliding the arm 43 toward the lower right side along the guide surface 31.

Further, the above-mentioned functional operation units 40 and 41 are arranged in front of the front end of the armrest when the seat 15 is in the relaxed position during automatic operation. By doing so, the occupant 12 lying down on the seat 15 which is in the relaxed position during automatic driving slides the arm 43 and the hand 44 along the guide surfaces 30 and 31 of the armrest 20, and then the hand 44. By moving the vehicle forward, the function operation units 40 and 41 can be quickly and surely reached, and the functions of the vehicle 10 can be operated. Further, the functional operation units 40 and 41 are moved away from the hand 44 of the occupant 12 lying on the seat 15 which is in the relaxed position during automatic driving, and the hand 44 of the occupant 12 is unnecessary during automatic driving. Can be prevented from coming into contact with. Further, the function operation units 40 and 41 are arranged within a range that the hand 44 can reach when the occupant 12 reveals the intention to operate the arm 43 during automatic driving and extends the arm 43.

Further, the function operation units 40 and 41 may be provided with functions corresponding to their positions. For example, the function operation unit 40 arranged on the left side is provided with a function of changing the lane of the vehicle 10 to the left, and the function operation unit 41 arranged on the right side is provided with a function of changing the lane of the vehicle 10 to the right side. Is given. By doing so, the occupant 12 can operate the function operation units 40 and 41 more intuitively, and erroneous operation can be suppressed.

Further, the functional operation unit 40 and the guide surface 30 are provided on the side opposite to the occupant 12 of the armrest 20. That is, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the functional operation unit 40 and the guide surface 30 are arranged on the left side (outside) opposite to the occupant 12 of the armrest 20. ing. By doing so, the sloppy movement of the occupant 12 can be assisted by the guide surface 30. For example, when an emergency situation such as an obstacle existing in front of the vehicle 10 occurs while the vehicle 10 is in an automatic driving state, the occupant 12 uses the arm 43 or the hand 44 as a reflexive motion of the occupant 12. Slide along the guide surface 30 formed on the opposite side of the hand 44 to reach the functional operation unit 40. As a result, the occupant 12 can operate the function operation unit 40 by hand 44 to quickly avoid an emergency situation. At the same time, since the function operation unit 40 cannot be operated unless the intention to operate is revealed and the arm 43 is moved to the opposite side of the occupant 12, it is possible to prevent erroneous operation of the function operation unit 40 other than in an emergency.

In particular, when the functional operation unit 40 operates the steering function related to the safety of the vehicle 10, the guide surface 30 formed on the opposite side of the armrest 20 as described above due to the reflexive movement of the occupant 12 in an emergency or the like. The arm 43 and the hand 44 can be slid along the line to operate the function operation unit 40 quickly and accurately. Therefore, in an emergency in the automatic driving state, the occupant 12 can safely and reliably steer the vehicle 10.

The same applies to the armrest 19 arranged on the right side of the seat 15 with reference to FIG. 2A. That is, the guide surfaces 30 and 31 described above are formed on the armrest 19, and the function operation units 40 and 41 described above are arranged in front of the armrest 19. Then, the occupant 12 slides the right arm 43 along the guide surfaces 30 and 31 of the armrest 19 as necessary during automatic driving, and operates the functional operation units 40 and 41 to operate the vehicle 10. Operate the function of.

The shape of the armrest 20 described above will be further described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view showing another form of the armrest 20, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view showing still another form of the armrest 20.

With reference to FIG. 4A, here, the lower support portion 33 is formed on the outside (left side) of the guide surface 30. The upper surface of the lower support portion 33 is formed as a surface continuous with the outer end portion of the guide surface 30, and is a horizontal or substantially horizontal flat surface. By forming such a lower support portion 33, the arm 43 or the hand 44 of the occupant 12 sliding on the guide surface 30 is received by the upper surface of the lower support portion 33 under the usage conditions, and the arm 43 is positioned at a predetermined position. It can be fixed to and the operation of the function operation unit 40 can be surely and easily performed. Here, the upper surface of the lower support portion 33 does not necessarily have to be a horizontal flat surface, and may be an inclined surface that inclines upward toward the outside or a concave shape that is recessed downward. The same applies to the lower support portion 34 formed on the outer side (right side) of the guide surface 31 in the right portion of the armrest 20.

With reference to FIG. 4B, here, the outer support portion 35 is formed on the outer side (left side) of the guide surface 30. The outer support portion 35 is a portion that protrudes upward from the left end portion of the armrest 20, and there is a gap between the outer support portion 35 and the guide surface 30 that can accommodate the arm 43 or the hand 44 of the occupant 12. It is formed. By forming such an outer support portion 35, the arm 43 or hand 44 of the occupant 12 sliding on the guide surface 30 is received by the inner surface of the outer support portion 35 under usage conditions, and the arm 43 or hand 44 is received. Can be fixed at a predetermined position to ensure and facilitate the operation of the function operation unit 40. Further, the shape of the inner surface of the outer support portion 35 is a curved shape (a shape in which the upper portion is curved inward) that matches the shape of the instep of the hand 44 of the occupant 12, so that the outer support portion 35 can handle the hand. The effect of holding 44 can be further increased. The same applies to the outer support portion 36 formed on the outer side (right side) of the guide surface 31 in the right portion of the armrest 20.

Here, the lower support portions 33 and 34 shown in FIG. 4 (A) and the outer support portions 35 and 36 shown in FIG. 4 (B) may be combined. That is, the outer support portions 35, 36 may be formed on the lateral side of the lower support portions 33, 34 in the left-right direction.

Other embodiments of the vehicle operating device 11 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view showing the vehicle operating device 11 and the seat 15 from the front. The basic configuration of the vehicle operating device 11 shown here is the same as that described with reference to each of the above-described drawings, and the configuration of the contact surface 32 formed on the armrest 20 is different. Here, only the guide surface 30, the lower support portion 33, and the functional operation portion 40 formed on the left side, which is the outside of the armrest 20, are shown.

Specifically, the contact surface 32 is formed over the entire upper surface of the armrest 20. In other words, the contact surface 32 is a substantially flat rectangular horizontal surface that constitutes the upper surface of the armrest 20. A guide surface 30 extending diagonally downward to the left is continuous from the left end of the contact surface 32. A lower support portion 33, which is a substantially horizontal plane, is continuous with the left end of the guide surface 30. By doing so, for example, during automatic driving, the arm 43 and the hand 44 of the occupant 12 can be stably supported by the contact surface 32 widely formed over the entire upper surface of the armrest 20.

When the occupant 12 operates the function of the vehicle 10 during automatic driving, the occupant 12 (not shown here) slides the arm 43 or the hand 44 from the contact surface 32 toward the diagonally downward left side along the guide surface 30. The function operation unit 40 is operated by the hand 44. At that time, the arm 43 or the arm 43 that slides along the guide surface 30 is supported by the lower support portion 33.

The position of the function operation unit 40 described above will be described with reference to FIG. 6 (A), 6 (B) and 6 (C) are top views of the vehicle 10 showing the positions where the functional operation unit 40 is formed. In each figure of FIG. 6, since only the function operation unit 40 is arranged on the left front side of the armrest 20, the guide surface 30 is formed only on the left side portion of the armrest 20.

With reference to FIG. 6A, the functional operation unit 40 is formed on the front portion of the door side armrest 26 formed on the door trim 23. Since the door-side armrest 26 is arranged near the front end of the armrest 20, it is suitable as a member in which the functional operation unit 40 is arranged.

With reference to FIG. 6B, here, the functional operation unit 40 is formed on the upper surface of the rear extending portion 24 in which the left end portion of the instrument panel 22 is extended rearward.

With reference to FIG. 6C, here, the front extending portion 25 is formed by extending the tip portion of the armrest 20 forward to the left side, and the function operation is performed on the upper surface of the front extending portion 25. The part 40 is formed. With such a configuration, the relative positions of the function operation unit 40 and the armrest 20 can be fixed, and the function operation unit 40 can be operated stably.

The above items also apply to the armrest 19 on the right side shown in FIG. 2 (A), and the above-mentioned FIGS. 6 (A), 6 (B) or 6 (C) are located in the vicinity of the armrest 19. The function operation unit 41 can be arranged at the position shown in 1.

With reference to FIG. 7, the configuration of the above-mentioned function operation unit 40 will be described in more detail. FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing the arrangement of each switch in the function operation unit 40, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view showing the function operation unit 40.

With reference to FIG. 7A, the functional operation unit 40 includes a contact surface 50 whose upper portion is inclined forward, and a plurality of switches 51 and the like arranged on the contact surface 50. .. A relatively large switch 51 is arranged near the center of the contact surface 50. The switch 51 is, for example, a dial-type switch that can rotate clockwise and counterclockwise, and has a size that can be grasped by the fingers of the occupant 12. By rotating or pressing the switch 51 or the like, it is possible to operate a function that is likely to cause a malfunction unless the intention of the occupant 12 is exerted. For example, the traveling speed, steering direction, and lane of the vehicle 10 can be operated. It is possible to operate the change direction, emergency stop, stop position designation, etc.

Relatively small switches 52, 53, 54, 55 are arranged around the switch 51. The switches 52, 53, 54, 55 are, for example, push button type switches, which are function switches for operating the functions of a predetermined vehicle 10 by pressing the switches 52, 53, 54, 55. The switches 52, 53, 54, and 55 are arranged at locations corresponding to the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger of the occupant 12, respectively. Functions realized by pressing the switch 52 or the like include, for example, lane change, acceleration, deceleration, gear change, temperature setting in the passenger compartment, air volume setting of air conditioning air traveling in the passenger compartment, and cancellation of these functions. And so on.

By providing the switch 51 or the like having such a configuration on the contact surface 50, the occupant 12 extends the arm 43 forward and brings the tips of the fingers of the hand 44 to the contact surface 50 without visually observing the function operation unit 40. By making contact with each other and operating the switch 51 or the like with a finger, each function of the vehicle 10 can be operated, and the function of the vehicle 10 can be operated more easily.

With reference to FIG. 7B, the inclination angle θ at which the contact surface 50 is inclined from the horizontal plane is set so that the fingers of the forwardly extended hand 44 can come into contact with each other at substantially the same time. For example, the range of the inclination angle θ is 40 degrees or more and 70 degrees or less, and by setting the inclination angle θ to such a range, the occupant 12 can surely contact each finger.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

For example, in FIG. 2B, guide surfaces 30 and 31 are formed on both the left and right sides of the armrest 20, but only one of the guide surface 30 and the guide surface 31 may be formed on the armrest 20.

In FIG. 2A, the vehicle operating device 11 of the present embodiment is provided on the driver's seat 15, but the vehicle operating device 11 is provided on the front passenger seat or other seats other than the driver's seat. It may be provided.

With reference to FIG. 2B, in the above embodiment, the function control of the vehicle 10 accompanied by the sliding operation using the guide surfaces 30 and 31 of the armrest 20 is performed while the automatic driving is being executed. Functional control accompanied by such a sliding operation may be performed during manual driving or while the vehicle 10 is stopped.

10 Vehicle 11 Vehicle operation device 12 Crew 15 Seat 16 Seat cushion 17 Seat back 18 Headrest 19 Armrest 20 Armrest 22 Instrument panel 23 Door trim 24 Rear extension 25 Front extension 26 Door side armrest 30 Guide surface 31 Guide surface 32 Contact surface 33 Lower support 34 Lower support 35 Outer support 36 Outer support 40 Functional operation unit 41 Functional operation unit 42 Rotation center 43 Arm 44 Hand 50 Contact surface 51 Switch 52 Switch 53 Switch 54 Switch 55 Switch

Claims (10)

It is equipped with an armrest on which the arm of the occupant seated on the seat is placed and a functional operation unit that controls the function of the vehicle.
The functional operation unit is located on the side of the armrest and below the upper end of the armrest.
The armrest has a contact surface with which the arm of the occupant comes into contact during operation, and a guide surface extending from the contact surface toward the functional operation unit.
An operation device for a vehicle, characterized in that a lower support portion for supporting the arm or hand of the occupant from below is formed at the lower end of the guide surface. It is equipped with an armrest on which the arm of the occupant seated on the seat is placed and a functional operation unit that controls the function of the vehicle.
The functional operation unit is located on the side of the armrest and below the upper end of the armrest.
The armrest has a contact surface with which the arm of the occupant comes into contact during operation, and a guide surface extending from the contact surface toward the functional operation unit.
An operation device for a vehicle, characterized in that an outer support portion for supporting the arm or hand of the occupant from the outside is formed on the outer side of the guide surface. It is equipped with an armrest on which the arm of the occupant seated on the seat is placed and a functional operation unit that controls the function of the vehicle.
The functional operation unit is located on the side of the armrest and below the upper end of the armrest.
The armrest has a contact surface with which the arm of the occupant comes into contact during operation, and a guide surface extending from the contact surface toward the functional operation unit.
An operation device for a vehicle, wherein the upper end of the guide surface is arranged inward toward the rear in a top view. It is equipped with an armrest on which the arm of the occupant seated on the seat is placed and a functional operation unit that controls the function of the vehicle.
The functional operation unit is located on the side of the armrest and below the upper end of the armrest.
The armrest has a contact surface with which the arm of the occupant comes into contact during operation, and a guide surface extending from the contact surface toward the functional operation unit.
The vehicle is self-driving
A vehicle operation device characterized in that the function of the vehicle, which is said to be automatic driving, is controlled via the function operation unit. The vehicle operation device according to claim 4, wherein the functional operation unit and the guide surface are arranged on the side of the armrest opposite to the occupant. The vehicle operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the contact surface and the guide surface are formed as continuous surfaces. The vehicle operation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the functional operation unit and the guide surface are arranged on the side of the armrest opposite to the occupant. The vehicle operation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the functional operation unit is arranged in front of the front end of the armrest. The vehicle operation device according to claim 8, wherein the functional operation unit is arranged in front of the front end of the armrest when the seat is in the relaxed position. The vehicle operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the guide surfaces are formed on both sides in the width direction of the armrest.

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